Tag Archives: guest post

My daughter Lily enjoyed writing on my blog so much last week that she decided Saturday is her day on Lemon Drop Pie. Here she is, writing again!

Hi, it’s Lily. I have two pet goldfish, Stripe and Spotty. I got them on Aug. 5, 2012. One week after that Spotty died. I was sad. Stripe hates the net. He loves food. Spotty did not mind the net. She liked food. I do not like the smell of goldfish food. I help take care of them. I love them. And Stripe says,”Feed Me! Please!” They are so cute.

Please share!

Shari is one of my BFFs (Blog Frog Friends) and she is such a great friend to have! She is my last guest blogger for the month of June. Take it away, Shari!

Summer is here and the kids are home for those long lazy days of fun, sleeping in and later nights. Wouldn’t it be great to be a kid again?! I love to have my kids home during the Summer, but it doesn’t take long before the “I’m bored” words come rolling off there tongues and into my ears! So be sure to PLAN some fun and be prepared!

I am a total believer in letting our kids be “bored”. I think it is an opportunity for them to be using their brains to find something to do other than sit in front of the TV or Computer or Game Consoles. Yet even kids need some ideas for fun.

Use this little list to get your brain thinking of those lazy days and write them out:

What do your kids “like” to do?

What do they “hate” to do? – I mean, why waste your time with things they hate!

What would you like to see them accomplish this summer? — It’s ok to have some goals in the Summer – My kids are going to learn meal planning and then shop for that meal.

How late will you let them stay up?

How late will you let them sleep in?

How many sleepovers will they be allowed to do in one week?

What chores will be expected now that the kids have more time on their hands? – This can be fun! Mine are going to cook!

What Vacation Bible Schools are in your area? These are a BLAST for kids to attend and frees you up a little. 🙂

If you have little ones at home, make sure you are realistic about how many times a week you can be out of the house or have company over without over exhausting them.

So now that you have the framework of the important stuff…because of course our house still needs to run smoothly..start making a list of fun stuff to do! YAY! The “I’m bored” list.

June is a month of Guest Bloggers! Today, Michelle, the Green-Mother, tells us about healthy eating. As a cancer survivor, I try to eat a rainbow of foods! Here is Michelle to tell us more:

Have you ever given some thought about your fruits and vegetables? Like most people, your answer is probably no. Did you know that the colors of fruit and vegetables contain different vitamins? For this reason, it is important to eat a colorful variety to get the full benefits.

– Fruits and vegetables contain high levels of fiber. Consuming these can reduce your risk of heart disease.

– Consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables will eliminate boredom that may be associated with eating the same foods over and over again.

– According to the Harvard School of Public Health, they stated that fruits and vegetables are important to your overall health. They also stated that some types of fruits and vegetables can protect you against certain cancers.

– Dr. Andrew Weil, author of Eating Well for Optimum Health, created an eating plan which includes an abundance of colorful fruits and vegetables. To learn more about Dr. Weil’s eating plan, please visit: Dr. Weil’s Diet

The Importance of Color

As you will see, adding a variety of color to your diet plays an important role in your daily dietary routine.

For example, red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. The red berries play an important role by acting as a powerful antioxidant. They help protect cells from damage. Healthy red choices are: berries, apples, beets, cherries, cranberries, grapefruit, red grapes, and watermelon.

Phytonutrients can be found in blue and purple fruits and vegetables. Eating blackberries, blueberries, and eggplants may help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease.

White vegetables may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. They can also reduce the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease (Source of Information: North Dakota State University). Good choices are: cauliflower, onions, and turnips.

Green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, contain many anti-cancer properties. They also provide many nutrients.

How To Enjoy Your Fruits And Vegetables

There are many ways to enjoy your fruits and vegetables. In order not to get bored, spice it up and get your creative juices flowing!

– For breakfast, add some mixed berries into your yogurt or oatmeal.

– For lunch and supper, sauté some green vegetables, and add some tomatoes. This makes a wonderful side dish to all types of meals.

– For snacks, make a smoothie and add plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. Add some milk and ice to get a smooth texture. At home, I use the Magic Bullet. It blends most fruits and vegetables, and caters to most smoothie recipes.

– Throughout the day, snack on baby carrots, and cucumbers.

There are so many ways to enjoy your fruits and vegetables. If you are on a budget, simply purchase what is on sale.

Michelle is a stay at home mom to three boys. She blogs about green living, gluten free and casein free living, family life, recipes, Michelle’s Favorite Things, and so much more! Michelle tries to make her days greener, one day at a time.

Thank you, Michelle, for being on Lemon Drop Pie today! My next guest blogger will join us on Monday, June 25.

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It’s Guest Blogger Month at Lemon Drop Pie! Today I’m pleased to introduce you to OneMommy. She has so many great ideas on her blog. Here’s just a few!

Are you planning a vacation this year with the kids?

Need a few ideas on how to keep them occupied in the car without playing videos the whole way and turning them into zombies?

Here are some tried, and kid-approved, car activities to make your trip more enjoyable!

1. Spiral notebooks/coloring books, crayons (I prefer the twist
up kind in the car; if you lose one it won’t melt all over your seats
before you find it!), and stickers. The younger the kids, the
more stickers I’d bring! With young children it is amazing how long they
can occupy themselves with stickers. (If they still have trouble peeling
the stickers off themselves, save yourself and them some frustration by
peeling the excess sticky paper off, leaving only the actual stickers
stuck to the sheet.)

2. Magnets. Simple ABC magnets or just some fun-shaped
refrigerator magnets can be fun on a small cookie sheet or cake pan (see
number 3). There are also some really cute character magnet sets out
there. I try to stick with magnets large enough that if they are dropped
they won’t be lost forever. (Also, make sure they are large enough not to
be a choking hazard, and if your child is one to put everything in his/her
mouth, then skip this one!)

Okay, the LPS one has pieces I would usually say are too small for the car, but it is so adorable and my daughter loves it!

3. Small Cake Pans and Favorite Toys. If you have a car-lover,
then a small cake pan works wonders as a place to push little cars around.
The sides of the pan keep them from rolling off. And if the child is old
enough to worry about where the road is, you can draw one on a piece of
felt to be stuck inside the cake pan. A cake pan can also keep other
small toys (like Littlest Pet Shop characters) from falling off small
laps.

4. Felt Board. Don’t have one? Follow these simple directions to
make your own felt board. Cut out simple shapes from
felt and kids can use them to create their own designs. Or make felt
cars, felt dolls to dress, or nursery rhyme characters they can use to act
out stories.

5. Water Wow Doodle Books. Fill the special pen with water and
“paint” the pages to reveal the pictures. Let the pages dry and you can
re-do them over and over again. (I found ours at Big Lots for $3 each and
they have seen A LOT of use.)

6. Tin Foil Surprises. Who doesn’t like surprises? Wrap Dollar
Store finds, small cars, etc. inside foil for them to open. Not only do
they have the fun of opening a little gift, they also can play with the
foil later

7. Books. Even children who don’t read on their own yet can
flip through old favorites. (Mine also love taking their Leap Frog Tag
Reader books while traveling.)

8. Dry Erase Boards. Got an older child? Dry erase boards
allow creativity that can be erased and done over and over. Or they can
be used to play Hang-man, Tic-Tac-Toe, etc.

9. Etch-A-Sketch/Magna Doodle. If you don’t yet trust your
child with a dry erase marker, how about a Magna-Doodle? They can draw
and erase mess-free. If they are a little older, and Etch-A-Sketch will
challenge them a bit more; plus, it’s fun to shake it to erase your
picture!

10. Plenty of Car-Friendly Snacks. (I like to stick to dry items
in the car for less mess!) Cheese crackers, raisins, pretzels, dry
cereal…

** Remember to plan extra time at rest stops to allow kids to stretch
their legs and run some energy out. Plus, use that time to change/rotate
their books, toys, etc. at each stop. This keeps things fresh and
interesting.

Happy traveling!

OneMommy can be found at There’s Just One
Mommy, where she blogs about life as a SAHM to her 3 year-old son and
4.5 year-old daughter. She writes about the funny things kids say/do,
simple kid crafts, and more. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

For more traveling tips, read one of my past posts: Fuzzy Buggy. Thank you, OneMommy, for giving us so many great ideas! My next guest blogger will join us on Monday, June 18.

This is Gianna again from Sweet Peas & Buddies. Thanks for coming back. I am excited to finish my May Day Celebration story for you.

So the party started. The party was fabulous.

And then it was time for the May Day Pole.

I knew how I wanted to do it. But what I was hoping for was a non-windy day.

As it would be, it was a very windy day.

What I did was make a band of fabric and sewed crepe paper to them for the Maypole streamers.

I am not very handy when it comes to a sewing machine.

But I was able to figure out how to do this.

I don’t know how long the streamers were. I just know they went from our front door and into our bathroom.

Because it was so windy, I didn’t want to attach the ribbons until just before we started. My friend Peter helped me by climbing the ladder and tying the streamers onto the tree.

Then we walked away to put the ladder down. Oops.

We had to wrestle the ribbons to subdue them.

But with some more help from Peter and my good friend Andrea, the Maypole was a success!

How can it not be when you are dancing around a tree to the song, “I Am A Promise.” It may have seemed overwhelming and impossible the morning of the party, but my kids helped me to stretch. Without them, I would never have done this. Without them, my life would be so dull. Without them, I would not have the join of experiencing the humiliations and JOYS of being a mom.

I’m so thankful for my kids.

Usually.

Thanks, again, Ginny for inviting me to hang out with your cool readers!

You’re so welcome, Gianna! I just love that picture of your streamers blowing in the wind! What a fun May Day! My next guest blogger will be featured on Monday, June 11. It’s Guest Blogger Month at Lemon Drop Pie!